Apparatus for handling material



Jan. 15, 1935. H. E. McCRERY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIAL Filed Sept. 16, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Jan. 15, 1935. H. E. M CRERY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIAL Filed Sept. 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Jan. 15, 1935. H. E. MCCRERY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIAL Filed Sept.

16, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR- l M I A n Patented Jan. 15, 1935 Harold E, McOrery, Pittsburgh, Pa., jassignor to Blaw-Knoxfiornpany, Blawnox, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Applicationseptember 16, 1932, Serial No. $33,448

' Claims.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for handling material, and more particularly to apparatus/for handling the'aggregate and cement used ln'making concrete.

'5 In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the present preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure -1"is-a side elevation of a portion of a truck having assembling compartments for the 10 cement and aggregateg'a cement batch box being supported adjacent each of the compartments and adapted to-"discharg'e-ce'me'ntinto the assembling compartment when the truck is tilted so as to invert the'box;

Figure2' isan' end elevation of the cement batc box and a portion of the truck, the box being shown-in its vertical'position;

Figure 3 is a view similar toFigure '2 illustratingthe box in its inverted-position;

Figure"! 'is a view similar to Figures 2 and-3 illustrating the means forpreventing the box from'tipping when thecove'ris closed eventhough the latching mechanism may have become unlocked;

Figure'5 is a vertical section takenon the line V-V"of Figure 2, parts being shown inelevation, and

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line VI-'-VI of FigureS. a

80 The "apparatus "of the present invention is used forasse'mbling batches of cement and aggregate such as sand and stone preparatoryto feeding the batches to'a cement mixer. The batches are assembled in assembling compartments in a *body 85 such as a truck which is divided into compartments by doors. The aggregate is first placed in the compartments, cement is then added to the aggregate and the mixture of aggregate and cement is then fe'd'toa concrete mixer. The pres- 40 ant invention relates 'particularly to 'a cement batch box which is used for holding the cement and delivering it tothe aggregate in the assembling compartment before or 'while the batch is fed to the concrete mixer.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the truck or other body having assembling compartments, in both its normal and tilted positions, and also illustrates the cement batch boxes in' their corre- 50 spending positions. A truck body 2' is divided into a plurality of compartments 3, 4 and 5 by swinging doors 6 which are pivotedas indicated by the reference numeral 7. These doors may be locked in position or opened by means of rods 55 -8 which extend across the truck. When the rods are withdrawn, the doors are free to swing open. The truck body is. tiltableabout'am axis indicated by the reference numeral'9 in accordance with common practice so that it may be tilted'from the full line to the 'dotted'line'pdsiiton.

Piv'otally mounted over each of the compartmentse, 4 and 5 are cement batch boxesl2, 13 and 14. The constructionofeachofthese boxes is thesame and is'illustrated inFi'gures 2 through 5. Each of the boxes is constructed 'of'light sheet metal'andha's a V-'-shaped closed bottom15. The front 16 of thebox slopes upwardly and inwardly slightly so that the box is narrower fat its top than at itspointof support, this'construotion're quiring smaller compartments in thetruckbody than if the box was the same width 'from t'op to bottom. 'I'he'topedges of the bo'xare-turned over to form ahead '1'? which streng'thensit and it "is further reinforced by transverse plates 18 secured 'toT members le'whichare welded to thefrontand'back of the box.

The box has a'cover'zo which is pivotally supported by brackets 21 which serve as bearings for pins 22 which are welded to'the cover.

A pipe indicated generally by the reference numeral 24, extends'throu'gh and is w'eldedto the ends 25 of the box andserves as anaxle for the box when 'it is inverted to dischargecement'int'o the assembling compartment. The axle, being rigidlyconn'ected to the box, turns therewith as the box is inverted. The pipe extends beyond the ends 'of the'bo'x for a considerable distance so that the-box may be used with; difierent width trucks. The "ends 'of the pipe 24 are rotatably mounted in angles 26 which form bearings for the axle and are secured to the sides 27 of the truck by bolts 28 and nuts 29.

An arm 30 is rigidly secured to the pipe 24 ad 'jac'entone end thereof by means of a bolt '31 passing through the cellar ortion 32 or the arm and through holes 33 formed in the axle. A nut "34 is used to secure the collar and arm rigidly to the axle. A pm 35 is secured to the angle 26 and extends inwardly so as to cooperate with "the arm 30 and prevent the box from tipping in one direction. The box is prevented from tipping in the opposite direction by a latch 37 pivoted to the pin 35 and having a foot 38 which cooperates with the arm '30. A spring 39 is fastened at one end to a pin 40 secured to the latch and at the other end to the angle 26 so as to normally hold the foot 38 of the latch in looking position with respect to the arm 30 If the latch is moved to the left from the position shown 'in 'l "i gure'2,the foot of the latch is released from the "arm 30 so that the box may tip to the right in order to discharge its contents. The latch may be moved conveniently by securing a rope to the upper end of the latch, a hole 42 being provided for this purpose, or the latch may simply be knocked over by a bar.

An objection to some of the prior art batch boxes has been that when the box is inverted to deliver its contents to the assembling compartment, the cover of the box has fallen down into the material in the compartment. If the aggregate is wet, as is sometimes the case, the cover becomes wet and the cement, instead of discharging freely from the box, sticks thereto.- In the present invention, this objectionable feature is eliminated by providing means for restraining the cover from falling down into the aggregate when the box is inverted. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this means comprises a cable 43 secured at its upper end to a pin 44 which is welded to the cover. The lower end of the cable is secured to a bracket 45 which is welded to the angle 26.

In making up batches of concrete preparatory to feeding the batches to a concrete mixer, it is assumed that the aggregate such as sand and stone is already in the assembling compartments 3, 4 and 5 and that the required amount of cement is in the batch boxes 12, 13 and 14. When the mixing is to take place, the cover of the box 14 is swung back so that it lies along the back of the box and the truck body is tilted about the point 9. The latch 37 is then released from the arm 30 and, due to the angular position of the box, it turns over to the right and discharges the cement into the assembling compartment 5. At approximately the same time that the latch 37 is operated in order to allow the box to invert, the end rod or latch 8 which. controls the end door 6 of the truck body is also pulled out so as to allow the door to swing open. In this manner the cement is added to the aggregate as the aggregate is delivered from the truck body. When the box first turns, there will be a considerable amount of aggregate in the compartment and the box will fall against the aggregate so as to relieve the shock which would otherwise be placed upon the stop 45a which limits the movement of the. arm 30 and the batch box. The box 13 is shown in chain lines in the position which it assumes during the early part of its turning movement and while it lies on the aggregate which fills the compartments to the line 46. As the material is discharged from the assembling compartment 5, the box 14 turns until it assumes its dotted line position.

It will be understood that a batch of concrete is made up by the aggregate in one of the assembling compartments and the cement in one of the cement batch boxes. The truck body, since it is divided into three assembling compartments, holds aggregate for three batches, but a greater or lesser number of assembling compartments and cement batch boxes might be used if desired. After the box 14 has been turned to its upright position, it is only necessary to release the rod 8 whichcontrols the gate 6 of the compartment 4 and to release the latching mechanism for the box 13 so that the cement will be dumped into the aggregate in the compartment 4 and the mixture will be discharged from the truck body. The same operation is carried out in connection with the box 12 when it is desired to supply the third batch to the concrete mixer.

The cover 20 of the box may be swung back either before or after the truck body has been tilted, but for convenience, this is usually done before tilting the body. As the box turns to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment, the cable 43 restrains the cover from falling down into the aggregate in the assembling compartment. This insures free delivery of the contents of the box and prevents the cover from becoming wet even if the aggregate in the assembling compartment is wet.

As previously stated, the pipe 24 which forms an axle or trunnions for the box extends beyond the ends of the box for a considerable distance so that the box may be used with different width trucks. The arm 30 may be adjusted in its position along the trunnion and then bolted in place, and further adjustments can be made by moving the collar 47 along the other trunnion and tightening a set screw 48. The angles 26 and the latch 37 pivoted thereto may also be adjusted along the trunnion, the arrangement being such that the box and the latching mechanism may be assembled by the manufacture and any adjustments necessary for adapting it to a different width truck may be easily and quickly made by the purchaser.

The portion 24a of the pipe 24 which is inside of the box is flattened as illustrated in Figure 5 so as to elongate it in a vertical direction. This flattening of the pipe prevents the cement from sticking thereto and also prevents packing of the cement between the bottom of the box and the pipe, thereby providing a box which can be more easily and thoroughly discharged of its contents than if the pipe had a round cross section.

In a box constructed as described, it is necessary to throw back the cover before the box can turn even though the latching mechanism which normally prevents the box from turning may have become unlocked through some accident. The operation of the cable 43 as a safety means for preventing turning of the box is illustrated in Figure 4. As stated previously, in the normal operation the cover of the box is thrown back before the box is tipped. If, however, the cover is not thrown back and through some accident the latching mechanism becomes unlocked, the box can only tip to the extent allowed by the cable 43 as indicated in Figure 4. The cable thus not only acts to restrain the cover from falling down into the aggregate in the assembling compartment during the normal operation of the apparatus, but also prevents accidental turning of the box which might otherwise occur due to defective operation of, or failure to properly lock, the latching mechanism.

I have illustrated and described the present preferred embodiment of my invention. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for handling material, comprising a body having an assembling compartment, a batch box pivotally mounted on said body, said box being adapted to invert to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment when the body is tilted, a cover hinged to the box, and flexible means connected to the cover and to the body for restraining the cover from falling down when the box is inverted and the cover is opened.

2. Apparatus for handling material, comprising a tiltable body having an assembly compartment, a batch box pivotally mounted in bearings secured to said body, said box being adapted to invert to discharge its contents into the compartment when the body is tilted, a hinged cover for the box, and a cable secured to the cover and to said bearing for restraining the cover from falling down when the box is inverted.

3. In apparatus for handling material, a tiltable body having an assembling compartment, a. batch box mounted on said body and adapted to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment when inverted by tilting the body, trunnions on said box mounted inbearings secured to the body, an arm rigidly secured to one of the trunnions, and a latch pivoted to said bearing and cooperating with said arm to hold the box from tipping.

4. In apparatus for handling material, a tiltable body having an assembling compartment, a batch box mounted on said body and adapted to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment when inverted by tilting the body, trunnions on said box mounted in bearings secured to the body, an arm rigidly secured to one of the trunnions, a latch pivoted tosaid bearing and cooperating with said arm to prevent the box from tipping in one direction, and other means secured to said bearing for preventing the box from tipping in the opposite direction.

5. In apparatus for handling material, a tiltable body having an assembling compartment, a batch box mounted on said body and adapted to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment when inverted by tilting the body, trunnions on said box mounted in bearings secured to the body, an arm rigidly secured to one of the trunnions, a pin secured tosaid bearing and cooperating with said arm to prevent the box from tipping in one direction, and a latch pivoted to said pin and cooperating with said arm to prevent the box from tipping in the opposite direction. r

6. In apparatus for handling material, a tiltable body having an assembling compartment, a batch box mounted on said body and adapted to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment when inverted by tilting the body, trunnions on said box, an arm adjustable along one of the trunnions, said arm being rigidly fixed to the trunnion and rotatable therewith, and a latch carried by said body and cooperating with said arm to hold the box from tipping.

'7. In apparatus for handling material, a tiltable body having an assembling compartment, a batch box mounted on said body and adapted to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment when inverted by tilting the body, bearings on said body, trunnions rigidly connected to the box and rotatable in said bearings, an arm adjustable along one of the trunnions, said arm being rigidly fixed to the trunnion and rotatable therewith, a latch pivoted to one of said bearings and cooperating with said arm to prevent the box from tipping, said bearing beingadjustable along said trunnion to adapt the box to different width bodies.

8. In apparatus for handling material, a tiltable body having an assembling compartment, a batch box mounted on said body and adapted to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment when inverted by tilting the body, said box having trunnions extending a substantial distance beyond the ends thereof, and latching mechanism attached to said body and having a part thereof adjustable along one of said trunnions for preventing the box from tipping.

9. In apparatus for handling material, a tiltable body having an assembling compartment, a batch box mounted on said body and adapted to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment when inverted by tilting the body, said box having trunnions extending a substantial distance beyond the ends thereof, latching mechanism attached to said body and having a part thereof adjustable along one of said trunnions for preventing the box from tipping, and a collar adjustable along the other of said trunnions, whereby the box is adapted to fit different width bodies.

10. In apparatus for handling material, a tiltable body having an assembling compartment, a batch box mounted on said body and adapted to discharge its contents into the assembling compartment when inverted by'tilting the body, said box having trunnions extending a substantial distance beyond the ends thereof, a trunnion bearing secured to said body, and a latching mechanism attached to said body and having a part thereof adjustable along one of said trunnions for preventing the box from tipping and adapting the box to different width bodies.

HAROLD E. MCCRERY. 

